What You Talking About Wyllys

Published: March 13, 2012

Wade Wilby, Wyllys, is an East Coast based artist with a passion for spinning vinyl and whipping a crowd into a frenzy. You can count on him to usually bring that Nu Disco flavor to the dance floor, but his library is vast and his genres diverse, so don't be surprised at anything he throws at you. Whether its performing with Joel Cummins (Umphrey's McGee) as Space Disco or with his own Wyllys & the New York Hustler Ensemble which features Jennifer Hartswick and Natalie Cressman on Horns or a solo DJ gig, Wyllys brings the same amount of enthusiasm and energy to the stage. 110%. And it's all about the music. Appreciation and Creation. This weekend, Wyllys embarks on a 5 show adventure through Northern California where he'll play set breaks, after parties, poster rooms and casinos, with friends old and new. All in the spirit of music. Recently The Untz had the chance to reflect with Wyllys on his recent past, the present & future. Lets see what he had to say.

The Untz: You perform in such a variety of settings; from solo DJ sets to with your very own New York Hustler Ensemble and even with Joel Cummins as Space Disco. What makes each one of these operate separately?

Wyllys: When I'm playing a solo gig, I show up with out a setlist. I pick out a bunch of records I think will work for the particular party and feel the room out and go from there. With the Hustlers I have to construct the set before hand, record it for the band to listen to and write out the parts, and hopefully we get in at least one rehearsal before the show. When playing vinyl with a band, the keys of the records are extremely important, so it's imperative the band gets to study the material before hand even if it's just to get the keys of the tracks together.

The Untz: You'll be playing in 5 separate venues thoughout your west coast adventures, is there one venue in particular that you will be honored to be playing? *Wink, Wink, Nudge, Nudge*

Wyllys: Without question the Poster Room at The Fillmore during the Of Montreal concert. I know it's not The Fillmore "proper", but to be able to walk into a building with so much history means a lot to me. I love all kinds of music, and that room is a shrine as far as I'm concerned. Plus Of Montreal is a huge inspiration to me so I'm winning on many levels that night.

The Untz: Can you talk more about the gig at the Poster Room? You'll be playing 3 sets throughout the night during intermission. It must be exciting to play a crowd void of expectation.

Wyllys: I'm thankful for places like the Poster Room and Blue Note in NYC. It gives me the chance to do a much more artistic set than I would at a club. I get to take more chances and push the envelope a little more. My record collection has just about every genre known to man so I get to pack some rare cuts and deep ambient tracks for this gig and I'm very happy about that. That's a big reason why I don't put DJ in front of my handle because I don't want to be a DJ, I want to be an artist, and gigs like the Poster Room are going to push me in that direction.

The Untz: Well, 2011 was a big year for Wyllys. Summer Camp, North Coast Music Festival and the list goest on. It ended proper with a sold out Sullivan Hall show on New Years Eve with The New York Hustler Ensemble and Special Guest Scott Metzger (Guitar). Tell us a little bit about that show, what was that like?

Wyllys: Favorite show of the Year! Sold out as sold out can be and we all showed up to play. Total game faces with a brand new set of jams, like always. Scott Metzger added such a shiny layer of texture and energy to the band. I can't wait to play with him again.

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The Untz: You started the year off right in the Mexican Riviera performing at Mayan Holidaze alongside Umphrey's McGee, STS9 & The Disco Biscuits. What event are you looking forward to the most in 2012?

Wyllys: I'm really looking forward to getting back to Summer Camp. The Hustlers are teaming up with Brendan Bayliss (Umphrey's McGee) for the first time and I couldn't be more excited about that. Bayliss is the ultimate team player and that's what the NYHE is, a team unified for the groove of the party. I have many great things planned for that set, some things we have even yet to try with The Hustlers, which is exciting. If you're at Summer Camp and you miss this set, you have ruined your weekend without knowing it. *Laughs*

Well, you heard the man. If you're at Summer Camp in Chillicothe, Illinois this year and you miss out on the Wyllys and the New York Hustler Ensemble set, consider your weekend ruined. (HA!) However, if you're in Northern California over the next 2 weeks, don't miss out on your chance to catch one of Wyllys unique sets in a variety of settings as diverse as his art. Check out the tour dates below.